Society
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Economists warn of second Great Depression
Will we be able to cope with an economic depression? Some believe the coronavirus will cause a downturn on a scale not seen since the 1930s, and we will need all our resources to survive.
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Trump and Johnson struggle as protests grow
Are Trump and Johnson failing? As Covid “cabin fever” and division tears peaceful societies apart, Johnson has published an article about statues, calling for a “more cheerful approach”.
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Face masks on: A society without smiles
Do masks increase alienation? As the UK follows much of the world by having mandatory face coverings on public transport, some fear it may harm our ability to form connections with others.
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The man who changed history is laid to rest
Is George Floyd the Rosa Parks of our time? When Parks refused to give up her seat, she had no idea she would become a catalyst for sweeping change. Now, Floyd looks set to do the same.
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US city blazes trail for a police-free future
Do we need the police? After the killing of George Floyd, the Minneapolis police department is to be abolished – and the world is debating whether society can function without police at all.
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‘This struggle should matter to all of us’
Is protest against racism a duty for everyone? As Black Lives Matter protests swept across the world this weekend, the focus is turning to the role of white people in fighting injustice.
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Thousands join march as protests spread to UK
Could the virus help kill racism? The high number of black victims of Covid-19, together with the murder of George Floyd, has focused people’s minds on a history of shameful injustice.
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Britain becoming ‘laughing stock of the world’
Is modern Britain a tragedy or a farce? In the world’s sixth-richest country, the virus response looks like a tragic failure – and, as for Parliament, many don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
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Put down your protest banners – or I shoot
Is using the army to quell civil unrest ever justified? Troops from the US 82nd Airborne Division were moved to Washington last night. Americans are terrified that Trump might use them.
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Protest, plague, and the year the world changed
Is this 1968 all over again? America is living through the worst civil unrest since the assassination of Martin Luther King. But the similarities with that momentous year don’t end there.
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The Machine rules – you have been warned
Will we value human contact more after the lockdown? A 111-year-old story by EM Forster is proving extraordinarily prophetic about social isolation and our relationship with technology.
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Wave of violent fury erupts across USA
Is the United State’s crisis, our crisis? The media presents American racism as a uniquely US problem. But evidence shows anti-black racism is rapidly worsening in the UK and Europe too.
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Invasion of the 94-stone body snatchers
Is it time to stop the return of the bear? Once threatened with extinction, these wild animals are making a comeback, raising serious concerns about the dangers to people and livestock.
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Trump accuses Twitter of stifling free speech
Is free speech under threat? President Trump has accused Twitter of trying to censor him, while British journalists claim that the government is using underhand tactics to thwart them.
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‘No apologies, no regrets,’ says No 10 adviser
Will Dominic Cummings go? The raging media storm over Boris Johnson’s right-hand man exposes the yawning gap between the practice of politics and the role of trust in public life.